ScoobyDoo and the Monstrous Maniac, Mr Morte
by ElisabethCarter
Summary: An unknown villian has challenged Mystery, Inc. Will they be able to survive his "test" or will their lives unravel in the process? This is part of my series. Please review!
1. The Test Begins

Hi, everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter! When you're done, I'd appreciate it if you review to tell me what you think. I'd like to thank LadyStrength in advance for the brilliant idea she gave me for this story as well as some of my future ones.  
I'm sorry that it's been a little while since I've written anything, but I just got back from vacation: one week on a houseboat with my friend and fifteen others. It was a blast! I apologize if this story is a little slow at first or if it's not as good as you expected, but my mind's still a little preoccupied with other things.

_Chapter 1The Test Begins_

It had been nearly two months since the gang had received Mr. Morte's note. They were all beginning to allow themselves to hope that maybe this creep had simply forgotten all about them. So, instead of worrying about the supposed "test" they were all apparently going to be put through, Mystery, Inc. was relaxing at the Malt Shop.

Fred Jones, leader of the group, was seated beside Daphne Blake, the one girl who had the tendency to run through his mind nearly every second of every day. The two had become quite close, and, though Fred had almost revealed his true feelings for her, they were still just friends, for the boy had not been able to get up the courage to tell Daphne how he felt after that last conversation had been interrupted. Next to Fred, Shaggy Rogers and Scooby-Doo, their dog, were devouring pizza, covered in peanut butter and peppers. Beside the two hungry cowards was Velma Dinkley, the smartest of the group. She seemed to be lost in thought, watching Shaggy eat.

A waitress walked over to their booth carrying Fred's ice cream sundae. She set the dish, topped with a cherry, in front of the handsome blonde. "There you go, sugar," she said with a wink, causing Fred to blush. Daphne narrowed her eyes into a glare, directed at the waitress' retreating figure.

"How...friendly," Daphne commented bitterly as soon as the woman was out of earshot.

Fred nodded nervously, not sure what to say to that. Luckily, he was saved from having to come up with a response when a familiar man approached them. His name was Mary Kessler, no relation to Chief Kessler. Mary was an expert on Mr. Morte and had been attempting to help Mystery, Inc. through their test, though his help was not needed, for nothing had happened to them yet. Mary was a pale man in his early twenties with fair hair and very light green eyes. There was no doubt that this man was bullied as a child, a fact made extremely obvious by his overall strange and creepy personality.

"Hi, Mary," Daphne greeted politely as he sat down next to her in the booth. She scooted a little closer to Fred, feeling uneasy.

"Hey, guys," he said. "Any word from Morte yet?"

Fred sighed. "Didn't we tell you that the second we heard from him, we'd call you?" When Mary nodded he added, "And have we made any attempt to contact you?" Mary shook his head. "Then we've not heard from him yet."

As Mary opened his mouth to respond, Daphne noticed something resting on the end of the table. "When did the check get here?" she asked, more to herself than to anyone else. Daphne picked up the thin black folder, expecting to find their bill. Instead, there was a note in eerily familiar writing. "Guys," she said nervously to the rest of the gang, her hands trembling slightly. "I think you should take a look at this."

She handed the note to Velma, who read it aloud.

_Sweet as sugar is Daphne's man.  
He always comes up with the plan.  
When there's a damsel in distress,  
Be sure, Fred Jones, to do your best  
Or the girl's heart will surely stop.  
So hurry, pretty please with a cherry on top._

_-Mr. Morte_

Everyone gasped as the words were spoken. Fred, acting upon instinct, pulled Daphne close as he always did when there was danger. Shaggy and Velma huddled together in their corner of the booth as Scooby whimpered.

Mary, who's eyes went wide, was the first to recover from the shock. A deranged smile spread across his face. "This is just the beginning," he whispered, sending shivers down the spines of his companions.

* * *

So how'd you like it? I know this was kind of a short chapter, but it's all I could come up with at the moment. Please review and let me know how I did!


	2. Solving the Riddle

I'm really excited that a few new people have started reviewing my stories! That's really exciting! Thank you all.  
I know it's been longer than usual since I've updated but I've been pretty distracted lately. As always, I'm open to any suggestions you may have for the future of this story, so please let me know if you have any great ideas.

_Chapter 2 Solving the Riddle_

Fred, after hearing the words of Morte's note, put his arm around Daphne's waist nervously. It wasn't as if this was the first bit of danger they had run into, but something about their new foe was causing him to worry more than usual about the girl he had come to love. He would not let her out of his sight. That way, Morte could have no chance to cause her any harm. He looked around, trying to see if there was anyone in the Malt Shop that could potentially be a suspect. Oddly, the place was empty except for their group.

"Daphne, don't worry," he told her soothingly. "I won't let anything happen to you."

To Fred's surprise, Daphne shrugged off his arm and looked at him sternly. "How do we know this clue is about me?" she asked defiantly. "I'm not the only 'damsel in distress' around here."

"Like, I'd hate to break it to you, Daph," Shaggy said to her, "but you kind of are."

"Reah," Scooby agreed.

Daphne huffed. She folded her arms across her chest and looked away.

"Actually, Daphne may be right," Mary informed the gang, his pale eyes glinting wickedly. "Morte's clues are never that obvious. I doubt Daphne's his victim...at the moment. It will probably be someone else, someone who is somehow related to the wording in the note. Try to remember anyone you came in contact with over the past few days that would have any connection with what Morte wrote."

"I think it will probably have something to do with Fred," Velma commented smartly. She analyzed the wording once more. "Morte refers to 'Daphne's man,' which he must believe is Fred. He also goes on to say that Fred needs to save this 'damsel in distress.'"

Mary smiled at her, his light lips curling up. "Very good, Velma. Now, Fred, think back. Is there anyone that said anything or did anything that was related to this clue?"

Fred grabbed the piece of paper from Velma and read through it once more. Suddenly, he realized the gravity of the situation and began to panic. His breathing became rushed and anxious and he couldn't remember anything that could help. "If...if we don't figure out what he's talking about, someone is going to die," he whipsered, feeling useless.

Daphne, noticing Fred's worry, scooted closer to him and rubbed his arm gently. "Freddy, it's alright. We'll figure out what it means," she told him, though she wasn't so sure of this. Pulling out her cell phone, Daphne quickly dialed 911, hoping that the police would be able to offer some assistance. Much to her dismay, the call would not connect. "There's no signal here," she said with a sigh.

"Morte may have blocked all incoming and outgoing calls," Mary explained. "I'll go outside and try." He walked toward the door, only to return a few moments later, looking impressed and excited. "The doors are all locked and there's no one else here. We're locked in."

"Zoinks! Like, then how the heck are we supposed to figure out what this dude's talking about?" Shaggy asked, his voice cracking nervously.

"Morte would never make things this difficult at such an early stage in the test," said Mary. "This woman who needs saving is somewhere in here." He looked up at the analog clock that hung on a nearby wall. Furrowing his brow, he then glanced at the watch he was wearing around his wrist. "You have until ten o'clock to solve this riddle," he told the gang.

"R'how do r'you know?" Scooby wondered.

Mary pointed to the clock he had looked at. "That is stuck at ten o'clock, but it's really only around nine fifteen. That must be Morte's way of showing you the amount of time you have to work with."

"Jeepers!" Daphne said. "Less than an hour to solve this whole thing? Isn't that rushing things a bit?"

"That's the whole point of the test," Mary responded, his eyes making him look slightly insane. "He's trying to see if Mystery, Inc. is really as good as everyone says you are. So far, it seems like, though he's testing all of you, Morte is truly focused on Fred, most likely because he is the leader. First, Morte will probably only endanger someone who means very little to you. After that, things will become more personal. So, Daphne, you'd better watch your back, because if Morte really is focusing on Jones, then it's safe to say he'll be coming after you." At this, Mary let out a short, mad chuckle, sending a shiver down Daphne's spine.

"Daph, nothing's going to happen to you," Fred told her, placing his hand firmly on top of hers.

She lifted her head so that her own blue eyes were staring directly at his. She smiled softly. "I know," she said, feeling that mix of admiration and longing that so often accompanied these short-lived moments between the two of them.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes, each attempting to think of anything that could be of any use to the investigation. They all tried to imagine what Morte was up to, needing desperately to solve this mystery as quickly as possible. More time passed and no one spoke, unable to come up with anything.

Velma read through the not once more. "Well we have to hurry or someone is going to end up dead," she pointed out frankly.

"Like, I don't think that's helping," Shaggy told her as he noticed Fred wincing at the word "dead."

"I'm just pointing out the consequences," she snapped defensively. "I've read through this note at least ten times, but that line is the only one that seems to make any sense. All we know is that Fred is as sweet as sugar, someone is in trouble, and if we don't hurry, the 'damsel in distress' won't live to see tomorrow," Velma shouted at Shaggy breathlessly.

Shaggy cringed at her outburst. "Like, zoinks, Velma," he replied softly. "I just meant that you were, like, making Fred nervous. I didn't mean to insult you or anything."

Velma took a breath and looked at the scrawny kid facing her. She immediately felt regret for yelling at him. "Sorry, Shaggy," she mumbled. "It's just the stress of everything is getting to me." She turned her attention to the blonde boy at the other end of the table. "Fred, is there anything you remember that could help us?"

"There's less than twenty minutes left until..." Mary trailed off. He was glancing down at his watch, looking less and less sane to the bunch of teens before him.

Fred, feeling the desperation of the situation, ran through everything he had done in the past two days. He recalled the breakfast, lunch, and dinner of the previous day, as well as movie he had gone to see with Daphne and their friend Gus. After that, Mystery, Inc. had spent the night in the barn behind Shaggy's house. This morning he had gotten up, talked to his mother on the phone, had a bagel and some cupcakes for lunch (A/N: that's actually what I had), and had come here, to the Malt Shop, where he had ordered an ice cream sundae that was still sitting in front of him, half-eaten, the cherry slowly sliding down the edge of the melting frozen treat.

"Oh my God!" he exclaimed, slapping his hand to his head. "I've figured it out."


	3. Commencing Phase Two

Hey, everyone! I know you're probably used to me updating a lot sooner, but I've been pretty busy these last few days. So, to make it up to you, I've made this chapter super long.  
I'd like to thank all the new people that have started reviewing, and all the other people who have been with me from the beginning! Thank you guys! Alright, I'm sorry if this chapter isn't that great, but it's getting kind of late and I'm tired, unable to fall asleep. Also, I'm experiencing a bit of writer's block, so if you have any ideas, please let me know. When you're done reading this, please review and tell me how you like it.

_Chapter 3 Commencing Phase Two_

Everyone gasped at Fred's words. Mary glanced down at his watch once more, noting that there were only fifteen minutes left until this person would be dead.

"Like, then who is it, man?" Shaggy asked urgently.

"How'd you figure it out?" Velma wondered, upset that she wasn't able to solve the riddle before Fred.

"It's the waitress that served me my sundae," he told them, looking at the melting ice cream. "Look at the note Morte left us. It says 'sweet as sugar.' Didn't the waitress call me 'sugar' when she gave this to me?" he asked them, his eyes lighting up excitedly, realizing that he had solved this small mystery.

Daphne narrowed her eyes bitterly. "Yeah, the waitress definitely said that," she mumbled, not even bothering to hide her dislike.

Fred ignored the red-head's comment and continued to explain how he had figured it out. "'Pretty please _with a cherry on top_,'" he read. "A cherry was on top of my dessert! It has to be the waitress. Mary said that Morte first goes after those you aren't really attached to. The waitress is the only person that would make sense," Fred practically shouted in the emotion he was experiencing. It was somewhere between extreme horror and relief, causing him to feel light-headed.

"So, where do we find her?" Daphne questioned, pushing past Mary so that she could escape from the crowded booth they had been sitting at. She felt as though she needed to run around or occupy herself somehow, the adrenaline making it difficult to sit still. Since nothing could be done at the moment, Daphne satisfied herself with pacing back and forth in front of the table.

Everyone thought over this. They were all puzzled. The only one who didn't seem to be affected by the current events was Scooby-Doo, who was sniffing at Fred's ice cream. He seemed upset by the way the treat had melted.

"Reezer," he said, meaning to say that the sundae needed to be in the freezer.

However, the word took on a completely different meaning to Velma. "Jinkies! That's it: the freezer." Upon seeing the confused looks of her companions, she elaborated. "The human body can only survive for so long in cold temperatures. Morte must have put her in the freezer and timed it out so that we had exactly the amount of tie he wanted us to have. That way, if we didn't solve the mystery, he could ensure that the waitress would...well, die without ever being near the Malt Shop."

It took a minute for the words to truly sink in. For a while, everyone simply stared at the intelligent brunette. Then, they all seemed to understand exactly what Velma was saying and sprung up out of their seats, except for Daphne who was already standing, and ran toward the kitchen, searching desparately for the freezer.

Of course, Scooby and Shaggy were the first to find it, sniffing their way. Soon, everyone joined them by the thick metal door, sealing in icy cold air.

"Five minutes left," Mary warned them, his eyes wild. "How will you get it open?"

The gang tried pulling on the handle, only to realize that it was locked. They all looked at each other for a brief moment before rushing into the main part of the kitchen, looking for any untensil that would help them save the trapped, freezing woman.

"Three minutes," Mary shouted to them. He hadn't even attempted to offer assistance, simply sitting in a corner, chuckling madly.

Fred looked under the stove and found a crowbar. Picking it up, he asked aloud, "What the hell is something like this doing in here?"

Shaggy looked over at the blonde boy with a shocked expression. "Like, dude, don't question it; use it!"

Fred nodded. "Right," he said, running to the freezer door. He wedged the crowbar into the side and pulled, unable to get the large plate of metal to budge. With the help of Shaggy, Scooby, Daphne and Velma, the door finally began to inch open. It took the rest of their three minutes to get the heavy barrier to permit them entrance to the icy freezer.

The gang all held their breath, praying that they hadn't been too late. Cool air blew a mist around them as they stepped into the small area. On the floor, covered in little bits of frost, the waitress was resting, curled up in the fetal position. Her face was pale and her lips were purple from the cold. She wasn't moving.

Everyone was silent. Then, Scooby sneezed right onto the woman's face.

Mystery, Inc. breathed a sigh of relief as the waitress jerked up, shivering. They escorted her out of the freezing chamber and allowed Mary to take her to the kitchen, where she would stand by the stove to warm up.

"Oh, I think lost an earring in the freezer," Daphne cried, holding a hand up to her ear. She was terrified of going back into that place, but those earrings belonged to her mother. She looked around nervously, unsure of what to do.

"I'll go with you, Daph," Fred offered with a kind smile which she gratefully returned.

"Thanks," she responded as they walked back toward the broken freezer door.

Fred kept a firm arm around Daphne at all times, mainly because he was afraid that Morte would try to take her away at any given moment. Normally, she just accepted this gesture and didn't do anything about it. Consequently, Fred was very surprised when Daphne rested her head against his shoulder, leaning toward him. This action was so surprising that he didn't know what to do for a moment. After the initial shock wore off, he daringly pulled her much closer, assuring that there was no space left between them. This caused a gentle smile to light both of their faces. It may seem odd that these two could share such a special moment right after that traumatic experience, but, in a way, it helped them to realize how short life can be. This may seem strange, but that awful incident seemed to alert Daphne and Fred to the very precious connection that they had.

As they entered the large freezer, Daphne was released from the comfortable arms of Fred so she could bend down and search the frosted floor in an attempt to locate her missing earring. As she did this, Fred's eyes were drawn to something that had gone unnoticed in the corner. He reached over to pick it up.

Daphne had been so distracted by her task at hand that she hadn't seen what Fred was doing. It wasn't until he gasped in a very un-Fred-like manner that she was alerted to the fact that something was wrong. She looked up to see him standing over her, holding an elegant piece of paper in his hand. It had been folded up like an envelope, sealed with a stamp, though he had obviously undone it, reavealing the letter within.

"Freddie," Daphne said slowly, standing up. "What's wrong?"

He handed her the paper and she immediately knew what was going on.

It was Morte.

_I knew you would be worthy of the test.  
__It is reserved for only the very best.  
__Some do not make it past round one,  
__But they truly are no fun.  
__You and I will have a blast  
__As we see if you can pass.  
__Soon you shall be on to phase two.  
__I am so very proud of all of you.  
__To make sure you won't miss me too much,  
__I promise I'll soon be in touch._

_-Mr. Morte_

_P.S. Fred's love, one and true  
__Will not be harmed in phase two._

Fred, though terribly troubled by the letter, was slightly relieved at the last two lines, thankful that Daphne would be safe for at least a little while longer. Silently, the two of them exited the freezer and joined their friends, unsure how to tell them that the maniac was not finished.

"But, like, what'll that dude do next?" Shaggy asked nervously after reading the letter.

Velma scooted closer to him and bravely reached out to hold his hand in hers. She was too embarrassed to look up at Shaggy's expression, which was a mix of surprise and happiness.

"What I want to know," the smart brunette said to the others, "is who he's going to kidnap this time."

Fred looked around at the rest of the gang anxiously. "Mary said that Morte's attacks get more and more personal. This time, it'll probably be someone we all know and care about."

Daphne grabbed on to Fred and he pulled her into a comforting hug. "Who do you think it'll be?" she asked, mumbling into his shirt.

Fred shook his head. "I have no idea. I guess we'll just have to wait and find out."

* * *

So, what did you think? Review! And let me know if you have any ideas about who should be captured and what Morte should do with them because, as mentioned before, I'm having writer's block and need some help.


	4. A Night to Remember

Hey, guys! If you're taking the time to read this, you're awesome! As always, I want to remind you to please review and give me any ideas you have about the future of this story, like LadyStrength did a while back. It would really help me out!  
Sorry about the chapter. I'm sort of freaking out because I just saw a flash, like from a camera, right as I was writing the short bit about taking pictures. The weird thing is I'm alone in my room with the door shut and the lights off.

_Chapter 4 A Night to Remember_

Mention of Morte had been absent for three weeks. He made absolutely no contact. Regardless, the members of Mystery, Inc. didn't get their hopes up, for in his latest clue he had told them that he'd "soon be in touch." So, with this distraction temporarily missing, the gang had resorted to a worried, anxious version of their former lives.

So, now, every member of Mystery, Inc. was staying in the barn behind Shaggy's house. They had converted it into a headquarters of sorts, a meeting place. Couches, pillows, blankets and bathrooms had also been added to provide a more at-home feeling.

"Daphne," Velma said, "are you going to the dance?" The two girls were curled up on a few of the couches while the boys stood at the opposite end of the barn, out of earshot.

Each year, their school hosted some sort of dance around Halloween. It was basically like homecoming, with all the same pressure and awkwardness. Daphne, despite the fact that she had been terrified of Morte, was still wondering if Fred would ask her. She knew this matter seemed trivial in comparison to the crazy maniac that was torturing them, but that didn't change her longing for it.

The red-head gave a sad sigh. "No, no one's asked me yet."

Velma didn't seem to notice her companion's depressed response. Instead she continued to say, "Why don't _you_ just ask someone? I mean, the guy doesn't always have to ask, right? I think that's what I'm going to do."

Daphne shook her head. "If he wanted to go with me, he'd ask. I'm not going to make him feel weird by asking him."

Velma shrugged. "You have a few more days to decide."

Meanwhile, Fred and Shaggy were having a similar conversation.

"Like, dude, just ask her," Shaggy was saying.

Fred shifted his weight nervously. "I don't know. Do you think if I did it would make things awkward between us? I mean, more awkward than they already are. I just don't want to do anything that will mess up the relationship I have with Daph. What if-"

Shaggy interrupted him. "Like, you're totally overthinking this, man. Just ask her and nothing will change."

Fred raised an eyebrow and gave his companion a sly smile. "Well, if it's so easy to ask one of the girls to the dance, then why don't you ask Velma? You've only been talking about her _non-stop_ for the past few months. If you ask her, then I'll ask Daphne."

Shaggy gulped. He thought this over. It was true that he had been talking to Fred about Velma for quite some time now. He realized that whenever he was with her, his heart would beat faster and he would get nervous. Also, everything she did was fascinating to him. Shaggy had never had these feelings for someone before. Consequently, he had no idea what to do.

For a while, the boys remained silent. A few minutes later, pizza was brought in for dinner. Conversation at the meal was very limited, allowing a strange silence to fall over the group of teenagers. No one was sure of what to say. After the awkward affair was finished, Shaggy and Velma migrated toward the computer, no doubt playing some online game, while Fred and Daphne made their way over to a couch.

Daphne curled up at one end while Fred sat at the other. For a while they didn't speak, just enjoyed the presence of each other's company. Daphne noticed the way Fred's oceanic eyes sparkled in the light. Fred marveled at the way Daphne's soft hair was hit by the light of the setting sun, giving her a sort of halo.

Fred cleared his throat, feeling the need to spark up some conversation. "So, um, has anyone asked you to the dance yet?" he questioned lamely, feeling like a complete idiot.

"What? No, why? Are you going with anyone?" Daphne's cheeks grew a shade pinker as she realized how stupid and juvenile she must sound.

Fred laughed nervously. "Well, actually, I'm not going with anyone yet." He looked at her, the most beautiful girl he'd ever known, and knew that he had to ask her, or someone else would. To make things as normal as possible, he would tell her that they would just go as friends, not like an actual date. "Daph, I was, um, wondering if...well, if you maybe wanted to, um, go to...the dance with me?" he mumbled. "Ju-just as friends, I mean."

Daphne smiled, though her eyes seemed troubled. She was once again experiencing the happiness and yearning. Of course she was ecstatic that he had asked her, though it was only as friends. She wondered if Fred would ever feel the same way about her as she did about him. But she already knew the answer to that: if he'd had feelings for her, he would've asked her to go as a date, not as a friend. "I'd love to go," she responded softly, tasting the bittersweet victory.

Fred, though pleased that she'd agreed to attend the dance with him, was also worried, for she seemed upset. "Did I do something wrong?" he wondered anxiously. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. It's fine."

Daphne realized that Fred seemed to blame himself for her sadness. "No, Fred, I'm going with you," she stated firmly, doing her best to hide the longing she was feeling.

Fred looked uncertain, but eventually accepted this and did not question her further.

Meanwhile, at the computer, Velma was leaning over Shaggy as he played a video game, her hand resting on his shouler. Shaggy enjoyed her touch and eventually became so distracted by the presence of the nerdy brunette that he lost the game.

"Hey, like, Velms," he began, his voice cracking. "Um, do you, like, want to go with me to the dance?" he asked, staring at his hands.

Velma was pleasantly surprised. Despite the fact that she had told Daphne she would ask someone herself, Velma had still been extremely nervous about the whole thing. Thankfully, Shaggy had beat her to it. "Of course I'll go with you!" she cried, aware of how foolishly excited she sounded.

Scooby watched from a distance as, for the first time since Morte's first clue, his friends seemed to be at ease. They were allowing themselves to enjoy their teenage years, temporarily forgetting about the lunatic that was after them.

A few days later, the gang met up back at the barn, dressed for the dance. Daphne looked stunning in her purple dress, while Velma was gorgeous in her own orange one. Shaggy had on a suit with a green tie and a burgundy vest, looking rather unlike himself. Fred chose to wear a similar suit with an orange tie and a blue vest, absolutely dashing. Everyone gathered around and took a few pictures, smiling at the fact that this night was theirs to enjoy, free from worry.

"Like, where's Scooby-Doo?" Shaggy asked, looking around for his dog as the camera flashed. When there was no response, he assumed that the creature must be digging through the pantry for some snacks.

Fred took Daphne aside as the pictures were finished. "You look absolutely beautiful," he told her breathlessly. "I mean, not that you don't always look like that, it's just tonight...wow!" He blushed, once again feeling like a moron in the presence of the perfect girl.

"Thanks, Fred," she said with a smile. "You look really great, too."

For a brief, fleeting moment, these two stood there, staring into each other's eyes, and felt connected in some profound way. Then, it was broken as a piece of paper fluttered down from the ceiling. Fred reached down to pick it up, forgetting about their new enemy as he wondered what it could be. He tensed up as he read and Daphne knew immediately that it was from Morte. He couldn't just let them have that one night together.

"What does it say?" she asked, hanging onto his arm as she read the piece of paper in front of him.

_Fred, you clean up well.  
__Now I have a story to tell.  
__Once upon a time, there was a group of kids  
__Who had a dog that they would miss.  
__Scooby-Doo was his name.  
__Without him, they wouldn't be the same.  
__So, to save their pet from their foe,  
__Back to the Future they must go._

_-Mr. Morte_


	5. Enchantment Under the Sea

I really need some ideas, guys! Review! And thank you to all the people that have already been doing so. You guys really are the best and I can't tell you how excited I get whenever I see that someone has commented on my story.  
Oh, sorry, but this may be a bit confusing to those of you who haven't seen "Back to the Future." If you haven't, you really should. It's a great movie and this chapter will make so much more sense if you do.

_Chapter 5 Enchantment Under the Sea_

"Zoinks!"

"Jinkies!"

Fred and Daphne had just finished telling Velma and Shaggy about Morte's newest note. They were both shocked and confused, for the clue wasn't exactly easy to follow. The gang had called Mary, hoping he would offer assistance. The man told them that he would be over within five minutes. True to his word, Mary arrived at the barn a brief time later.

After reading the riddle, he turned to the gang. "Is there a clock tower anywhere near here?" he asked, referencing the line claiming that they must go "Back to the Future."

Everyone shook their heads glumly and was silent for a few seconds. Then, Fred, overcome with a newfound anger glared at the man with them. "You said that Morte wouldn't go after anyone important to us until much later," he shouted accusingly. "You lied to us."

Mary didn't seem at all offended by Fred's rage. Instead, he smiled wildly and fixed Fred in his creepiest stare. "Obviously Morte is switching up the rules for you. I believe that he is doing this as a way to hold your attention, so you won't forget about him." Mary looked back at the paper in his hands. "He still seems to be focusing on Fred, so, maybe, he thought that Scooby, though a valued member of the team, was less important to you than...other people." Mary looked pointedly at Daphne as he spoke his last words, thinking that Fred cared more about her than anyone else in the group.

"That's not true," the boy spat out. "Everyone in Mystery, Inc. is equally important to me. They're my family."

Mary chuckled. "Perhaps Morte was unaware of this. Or, as I said before, he is acting out, like a toddler, to get attention."

"Like, who cares why he did it?" Shaggy asked anxiously. "All we know is that he,like, stole Scooby and we need to be talking about ways to get him back, not fighting about that dude's reasons for being a psychopath."

"Shaggy's right," Velma spoke up. "What could this clue possibly mean?"

"The only line that doesn't make sense is the last," Daphne mused, reading it aloud. "'Back to the Future they must go.' It's clearly talking about the movie, but what could that have to do with Scooby-Doo?"

"Well, gang," Fred said, "what do we know about 'Back to the Future?'"

"Like, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd were in it," Shaggy answered. "And, like, there was a clock tower that was struck by lightning at 10:04 PM."

"It took place in 1985 and 1955," Daphne commented. "Also, there was that bit about the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance." She paused and added bitterly, "Kind of like the one we were about to go to."

"As soon as you reach 88 miles per hour, the car was transported through time," Velma added. "But how does this help us?"

Everyone mulled over this, desparately trying to put the pieces together. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, Daphne slapped her palm to her forehead, her eyes sparkling as she was struck by a brillian revelation.

"Jeepers!" she shouted. "I got it!" Noticing that everyone was now staring intensely at her, she continued. "There's an old building around here that was built in 1955 and was almost torn down thirty years later, but it was converted into an _aquarium_ instead," she told them excitedly.

"Well, where is it?" Fred questioned hurriedly.

Daphne thought for a moment and then chuckled humorlessly. "It's on _Fox_ Avenue."

"That must be it," Mary told them. "You have approximately fourty-five minutes. I'm assuming that 10:04 will be the deadline tonight."

"I don't know if we can make it there and find Scooby before ten," Daphne commented nervously. "Shouldn't he give us more time?"

"We had plenty of time," Fred said to her. "But we wasted a good twenty minutes of it trying to figure this thing out on our own before we finally called Mary, remember?" He ran over and grabbed his keys to the van. "Come on, gang, we'll make it there before ten," he promised, walking toward the door and indicating for the others to do the same.

They all filed into the vehicle, with the exception of Mary, who would be taking his own car. Since Fred didn't know where the aquarium was, he allowed Daphne to drive the Mystery Machine, a very rare occurence.

"So, Daph," Fred said to the red-head beside him, "why do you know so much about this place?"

Daphne smiled softly, never once taking her eyes off the road ahead of her as she sped through the light traffic. "When I was a kid, I would go to the aquarium whenever I wanted to get away from home. Eventually, I learned all about it. I haven't been there in years, but I still remember everything that I learned there," she said, drifting off into the fond memory.

Fred looked at the beauty driving his car. He had never known this about her. The a thought struck him: why would she need to get away from home? He wanted to ask, to find out another small piece of the great mystery that was Daphne Blake, but he decided that this was neither the time nor the place. Making a mental note to think of this when their dog wasn't in danger, he returned to thinking about where they could possibly find Scooby in the aquarium once they arrived.

A short while later they pulled up to the large building, clearly marked as "The Coolsville Aquarium." The gang was relieved, not only to have finally gotten to their destination, but also to be out of the car. Daphne would make an excellent getaway driver, though her speed and sharp turns were beginning to make the others feel woozy.

Mary hadn't arrived yet, but they went inside without him, feeling that saving Scooby-Doo was more important that waiting for the odd man.

"Like, which way do we go?" Shaggy wondered, for they had could go down three different hallways.

"That way," Daphne said, pointing to the far left. The sign above the pathway indicated that this was the Brown Wing, like Doc Brown from the movie.

"But what about this one?" Velma asked, directing their attention to the middle hall. It was the McFly Wing.

"Like, tell me this is a joke," Shaggy groaned. "We have to, like, choose between Marty McFly and Doc Brown. Like, which one is it?"

Fred looked back and forth between the two. They would surely have to search both. He glanced at the nearby clock, noticing that there were only twenty-five minutes left. They probably would run out of time before the two corridors could be properly searched. "Let's split up and look for Scooby. Daphne and I will go down the Brown Wing and Shaggy, you and Velma will go down the McFly Wing."

Each team went off in the designated directions, too terrified that they would run out of time to carry on any conversation. Daphne and Fred searched every inch of the rooms they were led to, but there was no trace of the lovable dog. Instead, they wound up empty-handed at a dead end, ready to turn back.

"Wait," Fred said to his partner. "Look." He pointed toward a door that had been hidden in the shadows. It led to the roof. "Let's go." He checked his watch, only five minutes left.

The staircase was dark and intimidating, though Fred and Daphne never once faltered in their resolve to reach the top of the building. They were determined to bring Scooby back, unharmed. In no time at all, Fred and Daphne found themselves on the gravel-covered rooftop, searching for their pet.

Fred's eyes were drawn to the four statues on each corner of the roof, each of a fish or sea creature. He noticed that one seemed to have a tail. Upon closer examination, he realized that the tail wasn't attached to the stone dolphin at all. It was Scooby-Doo.

"Daph, I found him!" Fred shouted, pointing to the large statue. Scooby was tied to the belly of the dolphin, which was leaning out over the street.

The two ran over and hurriedly untied the dog, holding on to him so that he wouldn't plunge into the traffic below. It was difficult, but Fred and Daphne managed to get Scooby to leap safely onto the roof. When the dog was no longer in danger, he lept on his two rescuers, causing them to fall to the ground side by side. He licked their faces and thanked them nearly a million times before they finally convinced him to let them up. Both Daphne and Fred were still laughing in relief when they noticed a piece of paper taped to the door.

"That wasn't here when we came up," Fred pointed out.

"That means that Morte is up here," Daphne added nervously, holding Scooby's collar and Fred's arm.

The three walked carefully toward the door. Out of the corners of their eyes, each one of them noticed a dark figure creeping in the shadows. Morte was near them, on the other side of the roof, hiding in the darkness of the night.

"Come out, Morte!" Daphne shouted. "Don't be such a fruitcake! Show yourself."

A figure stepped out, wearing dark clothes and a black mask, making it almost impossible for the three frightened detectives to determine where Morte started and where the night sky ended. Fred analyzed the character, noticing that, for a man, Morte seemed skinny and not that muscular. Fred decided that if that creep came any closer to his friends, he could take him. Fred was about to lunge forward and end things with that bastard right there, but something gleamed in the moonlight.

It was a gun.

Fred backed up, shoving Daphne and Scooby behind him. Morte walked forward silently until he was no more than a foot in front of the blonde boy. He reached behind Fred and grabbed Daphne by the wrist, dragging her into view and pausing to examine her, as if he were a parent analyzing their child's date.

"Leave her alone," Fred commanded, reaching out to break the freak's grip on Daphne.

Morte simply lifted the gun and cocked it, pointing the muzzle directly at the red-head's temple. Daphne inhaled sharply, fear and adrenaline rushing through her veins. She was terrified and looked at Fred with desparate, pleading eyes. He stopped moving immediately, frozen with horror. All he could do was stare numbly as the girl he loved was held at gun point by a deranged maniac. That was the most awful experience of his life, as well as hers.

Scooby was cowering in the corner when Morte lifted the gun, grabbed it by the barrel, and struck Daphne across the face with the handle. Fred looked down, seeing the girl fall limply to the floor. He glanced back up, ready to face the lunatic who had hurt her, but Morte had vanished from the roof.

* * *

I'm sorry this is such a long chapter! I just started writing and couldn't really stop. Tell me how I did. I know this is probably not what you were expecting but it's not what I expected either. I just write whatever pops into my head at the moment, so bear with me.


	6. Congratulations from the Creep

Hi! Okay, so the last two chapters of this story have been super long. To make it up to you, this chapter is a lot shorter. Enjoy!

_Chapter 6 Congratulations from the Creep_

Fred watched Daphne fall to the floor after being struck by the gun. He looked up, finally gaining the reckless courage needed to motivate him to attack Morte. But the maniac had disappeared, nowhere to be found. Instead of obsessing over this, Fred ran over to the red-head, lifting her head onto his lap and stroking her hair gently. There was a crescent-shaped cut that was beginning to bleed near her eye.

"Daph," he said anxiously. "Daphne, are you okay? Please be okay." He shook her gently, trying to get her to wake up. Scooby stood beside them, his tail between his legs. "Daphne, Daphne! Wake up!" Fred shouted, seriously worrying that something truly bad had happened to her. What if the blow to the head had killed her? At the thought he felt a lump rise in his throat and tears threatened to fall from his eyes. He didn't care that he looked like a wimp at that moment; all that mattered was finding out if Daphne was okay. In the emotion of the moment, Fred forgot that he could simply check her pulse to find out if her heart was beating or not. Instead, he gently shook her shoulders. "Daphne, Daph, please, please wake up. Don't do this to me!"

A few minutes passed, though to Fred it felt like hours. Then, right when he was about to give up hope, Daphne's eyes fluttered open. She attempted to sit up, but immediately went back down, hand clutching her head.

"Oh my God! Daphne, are you okay?" Fred asked urgently, smiling foolishly as a tear trickled down his cheek.

Scooby perked up and immediately began to lick her cheek affectionately.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," she said weakly, grinning as she stroked the dog's furry ears. "My head just hurts really bad." She looked up at Fred's relieved face. "Are-are you crying, Freddie?" she asked, having never seen the boy do this before. He had made her cry a few times, but that was different.

He sniffed and wiped his blue eyes, laughing lightly. "Um, yeah, kind of," he told her lamely, still too happy that she was alive to be embarrassed over this display of emotion. "Wrap your arms around my neck," he instructed, still smiling stupidly. "I'll carry you back down."

The three of them made their way over to the door, remembering the note Morte had left on it. Fred reached out to grab the paper that was gently blowing in the breeze.

"What does it say?" Daphne asked.

Fred shook his head. "We're not going to read this right now. We'll wait until we get back down to the others before we do anything with it."

Daphne accepted this and rested her head against Fred's sturdy chest. She smiled, seeing Scooby-Doo trot along beside them once more. Within the next two minutes, they were reunited with their friends, Scooby tackling everyone to the floor, with the exception of Daphne, who's head was still throbbing. Fred told Velma and Shaggy everything that had happened on the roof. Finally, he pulled out the letter that had been taped to the door.

_The clever kids saved Scooby-Doo.  
__Congrats on passing Phase Two.  
__The next time that you hear from me  
__You will move on to Phase Three.  
So, you'd better get ready, get set  
For a challenge you won't forget.  
But don't worry, don't fret.  
Our fun isn't over yet.  
You still must make it to the fifth phase  
Before I leave you for the rest of your days._

_-Mr. Morte_

"Zoinks."

"Jeepers."

"Jinkies."

"R'oh boy."

"What else can this guy possibly do to us?" Daphne asked, fearing for her life as well as that of her closest friends. She looked around at the four others before her, the people who she had come to think of as a second family. Shaggy and Velma were standing in front of her, looking around nervously, frightened with Scooby-Doo curled up at their feet. Shaggy daringly reached out and took Velma's hand in his, causing her to blush and smile. Daphne turned her head to look at Fred who was right beside her. He flashed a small, reassuring grin as he caught her gaze and put an arm around her, pulling her into a hug. He rested his head on hers, refusing to let go.

"Yeah, like, what else could he do?" Shaggy wondered.

Fred sighed. "I guess we'll just have to wait and find out."


	7. The Capture

Yay! Another new person reviewed my story! I'm so excited. Thanks to everyone who has been reading these; it really means a lot to me. And thank you to Hollie who has given me a brilliant idea for my next story. And a special thank you to LadyStrength who inspired this last chapter.

_Chapter 7 The Capture_

One week passed with no word from Morte. Mysteriously, Mary had also disappeared from the lives of Mystery, Inc., not that they minded that too much. They were beginning to center their lives around the current mystery, always jumping with fear whenever a discarded piece of paper was resing on the floor or anxiously talking to loved ones as if any conversation could be their last.

Another week went by and Morte's name had been dropped from the paper. No one beside the gang feared the maniac anymore.

"Like, Velma, do you want to get some dinner with me?" Shaggy asked nervously. He then realized that this may sound to abrupt and forward. "I mean, like, as a friend. You have to eat and I have to eat and so I don't see why we can't, like, eat together," he finished lamely, feeling extremely embarrassed.

Velma blushed slightly. "Yeah, I'd like that," she told him.

The two awkward teens walked to the malt shop, where they were seated and placed their orders. Velma's hand was resting on the table by her glass of water as she confided in Shaggy.

"I've been really scared," she admitted. "This Morte freak is truly insane. What will he end up doing to us?" she asked fearfully.

Shaggy, who was not used to being the brave one, put on his best tough, comforting expression and placed his hand over hers. "Like, don't worry, Velma. He won't do anything to us. Like, nothing's going to happen, alright? We'll catch this guy before he can do anything really bad."

Velma smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Shaggy," she said softly, her expression serene.

Meanwhile, at Fred's house, Daphne had just arrived. He had invited her over in an attempt to cheer her up and preven the recent happenings from worrying her too much.

"Daphne, I have a surprise for you," Fred told her playfully. He pulled out three DVDs from behind his back: "The Proposal," "Titanic" and "Psycho," each extremely different, yet they were all Daphne's favorites.

"Oh, Freddie, thank you," she said cheerfully, wrapping her arms around the kind boy. "I really needed this."

The two of them plopped down on the couch in front of the TV as Fred stuck in "The Proposal." Toward the end, when Andrew confessed his love for Margaret, Fred took a risk and scooted closer to the girl beside him. Surprisingly, she didn't move away. Instead, a small smile lit her perfect face. Whether it was from the movie or from his actions he would never know. After that, "Titanic" was watched. When Daphne cried for Jack as he died, Fred put a comforting arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. If anyone had walked in, they would have assumed that this was some sort of date, though Fred and Daphne knew that it sadly was not. A few minutes later, "Psycho" lit up the television screen. Daphne's eyes were wide with mysterious wonder and enjoyment as she watched her favorite film of all time.

As the movie began to end, playing the last scene, Fred took his eyes off Norman Bates' figure and directed them toward Daphne. There was very little space between them as she looked up to meet his gaze. Fred felt as though his stomach was doing cartweels as he slowly and carefully tried to close the gap between their lips. He didn't want to move to fast, for fear of scaring her off. He could now feel her breath colliding with his. Daphne smiled ever so slightly as she realized that the long-awaited kiss was finally going to come.

On the TV screen, Norman Bates, dressed as his mother, said the last line right as their lips were about to touch.

"Hello, Fred Jones," a voice said, causing him to jerk away from Daphne before they were able to share the special moment that he had been waiting for since their first case.

Fred turned to see that a figure, not Norman Bates, had appeared on the screen of the television. It was the same masked person that had struck Daphne with the gun on the roof of the aquarium. A voice scrambler had been used, making Morte unidentifiable.

"Bring your friends to meet me at Shadow Oak Cemetary tomorrow at five o'clock in the morning," he commanded. "Oh, and Daphne Blake is a truly a sweet girl. I'd keep an eye on her if I were you."

The image of Morte disappeared and it changed over to the credits, leaving the two teens silent, chills running down their spines.

The next day, Mystery, Inc. made their way to Shadow Oak Cemetary. Police officers had been stationed all around Sylvester Perkins' grave, ready to take the bastard down. The gang made their way over to the designated headstone, wondering where Morte could be.

A woman in her twenties with messy black hair and dark freckles walked near them. She looked up at them and smiled, looking deranged. (A/N: I picture a crazy version of Ally Sheedy)

"Fred Jones," she said, walking toward the tall boy. "It's so great to finally meet you." She extended a hand, though he did not shake it. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Daphne. "And this is Daphne Blake, and Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and Scooby-Doo," she commented, looking at each of the group members in turn. Shaggy had copied Fred and pulled Velma close to him protectively.

"Morte?" Fred asked quietly.

The woman smiled insanely once more, though she didn't answer.

Just then, Mary stepped out into the open behind the teenagers. He walked nearer to her, his own grin as wild as hers. He introduced himself, fascinated by the person he had studied for so long. He seemed to be the only one that wasn't completely surprised that Morte was a woman.

"Who are you?" Fred questioned.

She chuckled lightly. "Your worst nightmare."

Fred squeezed Daphne tighter as the woman's words gave him chills. He motioned for the police officers to move in and take her. Surprisingly, Morte made no attempt to escape. Instead, she just continued to laugh madly as the handcuffed her and stuffed her in the back of one of their vehicles.

"'But don't worry, don't fret. Our fun isn't over yet. You still must make it to the fifth phase, before I leave you for the rest of your days," she yelled out to them, quoting her last note.

As the car drove off, freeing the gang from Morte, Shaggy expressed his worry at the woman's last words. "What does she mean by that?" he inquired. "What does it mean?"

Fred shook his head, unable to come up with an answer. He led his friends back to the van, desparately hoping that the woman was completely wrong when she had said that she would be back. He didn't know if he could handle any more of her "test."

"Congratulations, Mystery, Inc.," Chief Kessler said to them before they could climb into the Mystery Machine. "You helped us capture one of the most dangerous people in Coolsville. You should all be very proud. It's over now."

The gang nodded, but they were all wondering why it seemed so easy. She didn't even try to fight it. Something about that whole mystery didn't seem finished.


End file.
